Man, dog reunited 4 years after Katrina

NEW ORLEANS, June 2 (UPI) -- A New Orleans man, separated from his dog during Hurricane Katrina evacuations, says he has been reunited with his beloved pet after four years.

Jessie Pullins said he was heartbroken when he couldn't take his dog J.J. with him when he evacuated his house in 2005, WWL-TV, New Orleans, reported Tuesday.

"I made adequate provisions in the back part of my house in elevated area, and when I left I though I would be back in a day, maybe two," Pullins said. "But unfortunately we were not allowed to come back in for several weeks."

An animal rescue group saved J.J. from the home, but despite noting the address he was taken from, the dog was shuffled between different animal groups before he was put up for adoption in California.

Pullins said J.J. had already been adopted by the time he tracked the dog down, but he entered a legal battle with the help of the Katrina Animal Reunion Team and a California lawyer who took on the case free of charge.

The legal wrangling ended recently when the woman who adopted J.J. decided to return him to his original owner.

Pullins said he has no hard feelings toward the woman for initially resisting his attempts to get J.J. back.

"Everybody falls in love with J.J. He's lovable. I don't fault them."